Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone:review

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is the first novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling and featuring Harry Potter, a young wizard. It describes how Harry discovers he is a wizard, makes close friends and a few enemies at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and with the help of his friends thwarts an attempted comeback by the evil wizard Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents when Harry was one year old.

The book was published on 30 June 1997 by Bloomsbury in London, while in 1998 Scholastic Corporation published an edition for the United States market under the title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The novel won most of the UK book awards that were judged by children, and other awards in the USA. The book reached the top of the New York Times list of best-selling fiction in August 1999, and stayed near the top of that list for much of 1999 and 2000. It has been translated into several other languages and has been made into a feature-length film of the same name.

Most reviews were very favourable, commenting on Rowling's imagination, humour, simple, direct style and clever plot construction, although a few complained that the final chapters looked rushed. The writing has been compared to that of Jane Austen, one of Rowling's favourite authors, of Roald Dahl, whose works dominated children's stories before the appearance of Harry Potter, and of the Ancient Greek story-teller Homer. While some commentators thought the book looked backwards to Victorian and Edwardian boarding school stories, others thought it placed the genre firmly in the modern world by featuring contemporary ethical and social issues.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, along with the rest of the Harry Potter series, has been attacked by several religious groups and banned in some countries because of accusations that the novels promote witchcraft. However, some Christian commentators have written that the book exemplifies important Christian viewpoints, including the power of self-sacrifice and the ways in which people's decisions shape their personalities. Educators regard Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and its sequels as an important aid in improving literacy because of the books' popularity. The series has also been used as a source of object lessons in educational techniques, sociological analysis and marketing.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: The Man with Two Faces

The Man with Two Faces

The man in the final chamber is Quirrell. But a changed Quirrell, no longer twitching and stuttering or unsure of himself. He tells Harry how Lord Voldemort possessed him while he was traveling abroad. Quirrell claims he was a foolish man until meeting Voldemort, who, he says, showed him that there is no good or evil, only power, and those too weak to use it. Quirrell is quick to point out that being seen as ineffective, particularly alongside Snape, is a very effective disguise. Snape was suspected of creating all the mischief that Quirrell was responsible for, such as enchanting Harry's broom in the Quidditch match against Slytherin – apparently Snape was working a counter-charm, and it was Hermione knocking Quirrell off his feet that interrupted the jinx. Quirrell also admits to having a particular talent with trolls, having set one loose into the dungeons at Hallowe'en as a diversion, so he could see what was guarding the Stone; he was thwarted by Snape, however.

Now, all that stands before him is the final obstacle guarding the Stone, which Harry recognizes as the Mirror of Erised. While examining the Mirror, Quirrell mentions that Snape was at school with Harry's father, and that they hated each other, which is why he dislikes Harry, though he never wanted him dead. He also says that "his Master", which apparently means Lord Voldemort, is with him wherever he goes. When Quirrell is unable to decode the Mirror's secret, a voice tells him to, "use the boy". When Quirrell stands Harry in front of the mirror, Harry sees himself removing the Stone from his pants pocket, then discovers that it is actually in his pocket. He tells Quirrell that he only sees himself winning the Quidditch cup, but mysterious voice says he is lying and demands to speak to Harry face-to-face. Quirrell demurs, but eventually removes his turban to reveal Lord Voldemort's face growing on the back of his head. Voldemort orders Quirrell to seize Harry, but Quirrell's skin burns and blisters when he tries. As Quirrell is about to curse Harry, Harry grabs his opponent's face, leaving Quirrell in too much pain to utter the incantation. By now, the pain in Harry's scar is so intense that it renders him unconscious.

Harry awakens in the hospital wing; Professor Dumbledore, who arrived at the Chamber just in time to save Harry from Quirrell, is standing nearby. He tells Harry that the Stone has been destroyed, and Nicolas Flamel and his wife, Perenelle, will die, but they have enough time left to get their affairs in order. "After all," he says, "to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." Dumbledore agrees with Harry that Voldemort is still out there, possibly searching for another body to inhabit, or looking for some other means to return. Dumbledore refuses, for now, to answer Harry's question about why Voldemort wants to kill him. He does tell him that Quirrell was unable to touch Harry because Harry's mother died to save him, and a love that strong can provide protection against Dark magic. Dumbledore admits it was he who gave Harry the Invisibility Cloak - saying Harry's father left it in his care. Dumbledore also explains that Snape hates Harry because Harry's father saved Snape's life, leaving Snape in his debt, something Snape deeply resents. Dumbledore explains how Harry was able to retrieve the Stone from the enchanted Mirror. Anyone who wanted to use the Stone, would only see themselves using it but they were prevented from taking it, while someone who was only seeking it but did not wish to use it, would find it.

After Dumbledore's departure, Ron and Hermione are allowed to visit. Harry recounts what happened in the last chamber and what Dumbledore told him. They conclude Dumbledore allowed Harry to fight Voldemort, if he chose, rather than trying to protect him from the Dark Lord.

The next day, Harry has another visitor: Hagrid, who is in tears because he gave Quirrell the final piece of information he needed to reach the Stone. After Harry calms him, Hagrid remembers he has a gift for him, a photo album, containing wizarding pictures of Harry's parents.

Late in the day, Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, relents and allows Harry to attend the Leaving Feast. There, after much good food, Professor Dumbledore rises to award the House Cup. Slytherin is in the lead, partly because without Harry playing in the final match, Ravenclaw defeated Gryffindor at Quidditch, and also because Harry lost Gryffindor so many House points in the Norbert debacle. "However, recent events must be taken into account - I have some last-minute points to dish out." Harry, Ron, Hermione, and – surprisingly – Neville have earned between them enough House points to regain the lead and win the House cup for Gryffindor.

Exam results appear and Hermione, as expected, is top of her class, while both Ron and Harry have managed decent passes; even Neville has scraped through. Finally it is time for the Hogwarts Express to take students home. Ron and Hermione promise to write, and Ron says he will invite them both to visit him. And though everyone has received notices warning them that no magic is permitted outside school, Harry knows the Dursleys have no idea about that. "I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer..."

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Through the Trapdoor

Through the Trapdoor

End of term exam time comes, with both written and practical tests. Harry cannot figure out how he was able to take exams while worrying that Voldemort was about to burst through the door and kill him. With the exams' end, Ron and Hermione are relaxed, though Harry is not; his scar is hurting more than ever, indicating danger is approaching.

Harry suddenly realizes that he must check something with Hagrid - he needs more detail about where Hagrid got the Dragon's egg. Dragon eggs are not exactly something that one idly carries around, after all. Hagrid, when confronted, does not know what the man he won the egg from looked like, he kept his hooded cloak on. Hagrid also told this stranger that Fluffy, the three-headed dog, would calm right down if he was played a bit of music.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione, realizing that someone knows how to get past the three-headed dog, run to tell Professor Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall informs them that he has been called away to London. They try to trail Professor Snape, but fail. Harry resolves to go down the trap door as soon as the Gryffindor common room clears; Hermione and Ron immediately elect to go with him.

As they prepare to leave, Neville notices them and attempts to block their departure, refusing to allow Gryffindor to lose any more House points. Hermione regretfully puts him in a full body bind. Under the Invisibility Cloak, they leave the common room and make their way to the third-floor corridor where they find the door is already open. Using the flute that Hagrid gave him, Harry plays Fluffy to sleep, then they jump down the trap door, into a crop of Devil's Snare. Hermione, recognizing what it is, but needing to be prompted by Ron, neutralizes the plant. From there, they enter a chamber with what looks like flying birds but is actually keys. They can only escape by catching the right key using a broomstick. Naturally, Harry manages this with Ron's and Hermione's assistance. The next trap is a gigantic and violent Wizard chess set. Ron brilliantly navigates them across the board by winning the game, but he is injured. After checking his condition, Harry and Hermione then pass on through a chamber in which there is a Troll that is, luckily, already knocked out. They move on to the next challenge, a logic puzzle, which Hermione solves. However, only one can proceed further, and Harry sends Hermione back to help Ron and summon help. Harry enters the last chamber. Someone is there, but it is not Snape, nor is it Voldemort.

The Trio is starting to work together, and we see them deriving strength from their combined talents. Each plays a vital role in helping Harry reach the Philosopher's Stone, whereas, one alone, and even two, would have failed. Hermione's magical ability and her intellect were necessary to escape the Devil's Snare and to defeat the logic puzzle; Harry's flying skill was required to catch the key; and Ron's chess-playing talent was needed on the Wizard's Chess board. Notably, however, they were not simply taking turns. Ron had to prompt Hermione into conjuring a light to evade the Devil's Snare, and Harry needed Ron's and Hermione's help on the brooms to corner the key.

It was mentioned earlier that certain staff and teachers provided the protection for the Stone. In order, that would be: Hagrid (Fluffy), Professor Sprout (Devil's Snare), Professor Flitwick (charmed keys), Professor McGonagall (wizard chess set), Professor Quirrell (troll), and Professor Snape (potions for the logic puzzle). While we have been told that Professor Dumbledore has also provided protection, the form his magic will take is unseen yet.

Neville's opposing the Trio is the first occasion where we have seen him evince any bravery whatsoever. Until now, he has seemed ineffectual, very weak magically, and at the mercy of the passing scene. It certainly seemed questionable as to just why the Sorting Hat placed him in Gryffindor. But Gryffindor also represents nobility, as well as courage, and the Hat apparently detected both those traits within him that, here, we see for the first time when he stands up against opposition; futilely, to be sure, but he is fighting to protect his House from losing more points due to what he feels is the Trio's inappropriate actions. This chapter marks a milestone in Neville's maturation, and his bravery and noble nature are gradually becoming more overt. Whether or not his magical ability can also progress remains to be seen, however.

One small point deserves notice here. It is mentioned in passing that Harry has trouble sleeping because, "he kept being woken by his old nightmare," though we have not heard previously of any such nightmare. The one dream that is described in the story that could be considered a nightmare dates back to Harry's first night at Hogwarts, and it is mentioned there that he had forgotten the dream by the next morning. We cannot offer any explanation for this discrepancy.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: The Forbidden Forest

The Forbidden Forest

When Filch hauls Hermione and Harry up before Professor McGonagall, their House Head, she already has Neville standing before her for wandering the halls so late. Neville insists he was only on his way to warn Harry, which leads Professor McGonagall to conclude that Harry and Hermione fabricated the Dragon story specifically to lure Draco into the halls after hours, solely to get him detention. She assigns detention for all three students, and penalizes each one fifty House points. (Malfoy has already been penalized twenty points and given detention.) In one night, Harry's actions have helped bump Gryffindor to the bottom in House points. He resolves to only concentrate on schoolwork, and avoid doing anything that could cost Gryffindor more House points.

About a week before exams, Filch escorts Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Draco to Hagrid's hut for their dentention. Hagrid says that something in the Forbidden Forest has been killing Unicorns. They will separate into two parties, and follow a wounded Unicorn's blood trail, and, if necessary, euthanize the creature when they find it. Hagrid, Harry, and Hermione form one party, and Draco and Neville, with Fang (Hagrid's boarhound), are the other. They separate. Hagrid hears a strange, slithery sound, but is unable to identify what caused it. Hagrid's party meets Ronan, a Centaur. Ronan makes a few remarks about astronomy, and the party is then joined by Bane, another Centaur, who also comments on astronomy. Hagrid leaves the Centaurs, then Hermione sees red wand sparks; Hagrid runs off to investigate, leaving Harry and Hermione alone on the path.Draco, it seems, had deliberately frightened Neville, and, panicked, Neville ignited the sparks. Hagrid, figuring Harry is harder to scare, re-groups Harry with Draco and Fang, taking Hermione and Neville. After about an hour, Harry and Draco find the Unicorn, dead. The slithery noise is heard again, and a hooded figure appears and starts drinking the Unicorn's blood. Malfoy and Fang run off, while the hooded figure advances on Harry, whose scar is now searing with pain.

A Centaur, Firenze, appears and chases the hooded figure away. He warns Harry that the forest is dangerous, and offers him a ride back to Hagrid. Two other Centaurs, Ronan and Bane, gallop alongside, angry that Firenze allows a human to ride him "as if he were a common mule", and also for interfering with the heavens' portents. Firenze responds that he will fight the evil, even alongside humans if he must, then gallops off with Harry.

As they head back to Hagrid, Firenze explains that Unicorn blood will keep a person alive, "even if you are only an inch from death", but it will be a cursed half-life, causing Harry to wonder why that would be better than death. Firenze says the hooded figure may be waiting for something stronger that will restore him to full life. Harry realizes this must be the Elixir of Life, a product of the Philosopher's Stone, and concludes that the hooded creature is Voldemort, who is probably only partially alive, as Hagrid speculated back in July. They reach Hagrid, who lets the students return to the castle. Harry tells Ron and Hermione what has been happening overnight, and they suspect that Voldemort is now just waiting for Professor Snape to get the Stone, and then will reappear to kill Harry.

There is one final surprise: as Harry reaches his bed near dawn, he finds his Invisibility Cloak, neatly folded on it, with a note reading: "Just in case."
Another interesting point is Harry's Invisibility Cloak being returned to him, apparently by the same person who gave it to him at Christmas. Recall that Harry and Hermione left the Cloak atop the Astronomy Tower. The Tower is used fairly frequently, as Astronomy students do their practical work there; it is reasonable to assume that a class is there on most clear nights. Wizards being subject to the same foibles as any other human, it seems unlikely that a student finding the Cloak would have returned it to Harry. More likely a teacher who is either frequently on the Astronomy Tower during daylight, or else is singularly aware of recent events occurring in the school, found and returned the Cloak to Harry. This person must be an adult, as a student would have been unable to obtain the Cloak from Harry's father originally. We can, however, rule out that it was Professor McGonagall. The handwriting on the message that came with the Cloak does not match McGonagall's handwriting on her note that accompanied his broom in September. It is true that the handwriting on the note that is on Harry's cloak in this chapter is never described, it is likely that it is the same as on the original note, as if it were different, Harry would likely have noticed and commented, at least in his own mind, on the difference. While we are beginning to suspect that the "oddly spiky" handwriting might be Professor Dumbledore's, Harry believes he is too insignificant to merit such attention from the school's Headmaster, and so dismisses the possibility.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

Professor Quirrell seems stronger than the Trio had expected, as Fluffy remains alert and growling behind the door. But with only ten weeks left until final exams, Hermione starts laying out timetables for studying and insisting that Harry and Ron do likewise. So it is when they are studying in the library that they see Hagrid removing a book from the Dragon section. Asked directly about Nicolas Flamel and the Philosopher's Stone, he promises to tell them something about it, but not in the library; students are not supposed to know about it.

At Hagrid's hut, they learn that the Stone is protected by Fluffy, as well as enchantments created by Professors Sprout, Flitwick, McGonagall, Quirrell, Dumbledore, and... Professor Snape. This is alarming as, of course, it is Snape who wants the Stone. Adding to the confusion, Hagrid has won a Dragon's egg from someone at a pub in Hogsmeade village, and he intends to hatch it, even though it is illegal to own one, and despite living in a wooden hut—a decidedly unsafe place to rear a fire-breathing creature.

In due course, the egg begins to hatch, and Hagrid invites Harry, Ron and Hermione down to witness it. A baby Dragon emerges that Hagrid names Norbert. Unfortunately, Draco Malfoy, who is spying on them through Hagrid's window, also sees it. Now they must somehow conceal the hatchling before Malfoy tells Professor Dumbledore. Harry suddenly has an idea: Ron's brother Charlie works with Dragons in Romania. Maybe he can find Norbert a home. Though Hagrid is unhappy to lose Norbert, he finally agrees to the plan, as does Charlie, who arranges for his friends to pick up Norbert.

Malfoy somehow learns when Norbert is being transported, and he is waiting when Harry and Hermione (Ron being incapacitated by a Dragon bite) carry the crated Norbert to atop the Astronomy Tower where Charlie's friends are waiting to collect him. Hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, Harry and Hermione observe Professor McGonagall catch Draco, who is penalized twenty House points and given detention. Harry and Hermione, still safe beneath the Cloak, arrive at the tower and send Norbert off. As they head back to the dormitory, Filch catches them - in their excitement, they left the Cloak behind in the tower.

At first glance, this chapter seems to have little purpose in the book – Norbert is introduced and sent away all in one chapter and never re-appears in the series, except occasionally Hagrid gets to missing him, and there is a mention in passing in the seventh book. It does serve to introduce us to Dragons, however, and provide a little information about them. While Norbert is never seen again, other Dragons will appear in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. And though Norbert may seem (to Hagrid) a cute, cuddly hatchling, the fully-grown, flame-spewing Dragons seen in the later books are fierce and deadly creatures.

Generally, this chapter's purpose is largely preparatory. Firstly, it partially emphasizes that protecting the Philosopher's Stone has become more urgent. The Trio quite firmly believes, and with reason, that it is Professor Snape who seeks it. Knowing that Snape was involved with installing the guardian spells for it, they are certain that he must know enough about those spells to make his way through them.

Another purpose is setting up the scene in the Forbidden Forest, in the next chapter. Without detention, there would be no reason for Harry to have to go into the Forest, and no way for him to witness the events that occur there.

Thirdly, it sets up the final scene in the book. As we have not reached that yet, it will not be discussed here, except to say that a victory is sweeter if it follows, and reverses, a defeat.

Finally, this chapter shines a light on Draco Malfoy and also Hagrid. Draco discovered an advantage that he holds over Hagrid and the Trio, knowing Hagrid is engaged in something illegal and aided by the Trio. Rather than report this to the authorities, he instead remains silent, using this information to torment Ron in the hospital wing, and exploiting the situation to gain an additional advantage. This is classic Slytherin deviousness and ambition. Malfoy's actions later backfire on him, however, and he also receives detention.Though Harry grows closer to Dumbledore as the series progresses, they will always maintain a mentor/student relationship, while Harry and Hagrid develop a true familial friendship. Hagrid is portrayed as a gentle, though somewhat uncouth Giant, who is unfailingly loyal to Dumbledore and Hogwarts; he is also a rather naive man-child who lacks a mature and sophisticated thinking process. Though he is Harry's protector, his simplistic, two-dimensional views often prevent him from accurately analyzing situations or predicting any possible dark or dangerous consequences related to them. This occasionally results in his giving faulty advice to Harry. Like many in the Wizarding world, Hagrid becomes blind to the approaching evil, and he fails to consider that malevolent forces are being unleashed within Hogwarts. From his viewpoint, Hogwarts is impenetrable, every teacher is entirely good, and Dumbledore's power is unlimited. We also see Hagrid's deep love for all animals, wild or domesticated, huge or tiny. His belief that all creatures can be tamed if treated gently often blinds him to their unpredictable and potentially lethal natures, as seen with "Fluffy", the ferocious three-headed dog, and now Norbert, a baby Dragon. Just how he could secretly raise an illegal, fire-breathing creature that will likely torch his hut and grow to an enormous size never seems to occur to Hagrid when he hatches the egg. Instead, he is only focused on having obtained something he has always desired. Hagrid's inability to foresee that the small, vulnerable, motherless hatchling will grow into a fierce, uncontrollable beast, becomes a metaphor for how Voldemort, also an orphan, was able to rise to power.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Nicolas Flamel

Nicolas Flamel

Quidditch practice is picking up again as Harry and the team prepare for an upcoming match against Hufflepuff. Harry is horrified to learn that Professor Snape will be refereeing this match, as are Ron and Hermione when he tells them.

Neville, his legs jinxed by Draco to stick together, hops over to where Harry and the others are chatting. Harry encourages Neville to stand up to Draco, then gives him a chocolate frog. Neville hands back the card inside the package, and Harry sees that it is an Albus Dumbledore card. Harry suddenly recalls that it was on that card that he saw Nicolas Flamel's name: Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for defeating the dark wizard, Grindelwald, in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Mentioning Alchemy reminds Hermione that the library book she checked out says Flamel is now 665 years old. Further discussion leads Harry, Ron, and Hermione to conclude that the mysterious package Hagrid brought to the school is the Philosopher's Stone. Eternal life and all the gold you could want. No wonder Snape wants it, they think...

Harry decides to play Quidditch even with Snape refereeing. During the game, a fight breaks out in the stands between some Gryffindors (notably Ron and Neville) and Slytherins (led by Draco Malfoy). The match lasts only about five minutes, as Harry spots and catches the Snitch before Snape can do more than award one penalty to Hufflepuff.

After the match, Harry sees Snape enter the Forbidden Forest. Using his broom, he is able to hover close enough to eavesdrop on Snape and Professor Quirrell. Their conversation confirms Harry, Ron, and Hermione's belief that the mysterious package is the Philosopher's Stone, and leads them to conclude that Quirrell is the only thing standing between Snape and the Stone.

* Harry gives Neville the Chocolate Frog because Neville was jinxed by Draco Malfoy. This again demonstrates Draco's disdain for rules and for Gryffindors. It also shows Neville's relative magical incompetence and his emotional insecurities. Harry has to encourage him to stand up for himself.
* Snape's refereeing the match further displays his dislike for Gryffindor House in general, and Harry in particular. As seen by how swiftly Harry ends the match, he is quickly learning that the best strategy is to just avoid Snape as much as possible.
* The revelation of who Flamel is, and what he is known for, introduces the uniquely valuable titular artifact, and solidifies Harry's belief that there is an object that needs that sort of heavy guard.
* Harry's overhearing the conversation between Snape and Quirrell supports Harry's belief, and thus also Ron's and Hermione's, that Snape is plotting to steal the Philosopher's Stone, and that poor, weak Quirrell is trying to stop him.

The only major plot advance is that we learn the Philosopher's Stone is not only being guarded, but also sought. A clue is given to its usefulness by us being told how old Flamel is. Clearly, part of the Stone's function has something to do with prolonging life. Hermione's description of the Stone's function explains why Flamel has managed to live for so long, and makes it more likely that the Stone is, in fact, what Hagrid brought to Hogwarts and what is being so carefully guarded.

It should be mentioned that there was a real Nicolas Flamel who lived at about the time suggested. Nicolas Flamel was born probably in the early 1330's, about 660 years before the time of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1991-92). He and his wife Perenelle have made many other appearances in recent popular culture.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: The Mirror of Erised

The Mirror of Erised

Now that they have the name "Nicolas Flamel", Hermione, Ron, and Harry spend all their spare time in the library, trying to learn who he is. Hagrid is annoyed when he hears about their pastime. Despite searching for a fortnight, however, they have found nothing by Christmas break, when Hermione returns home for the holidays. Ron and his brothers are staying at Hogwarts because their parents are visiting their older son, Charlie, in Romania. Harry is staying because Hogwarts is more home to him than Privet Drive ever could be. Hermione reminds them to keep searching for information on Flamel.

On Christmas Day, both Harry and Ron receive gifts. Among Harry's are a sweater from Mrs. Weasley, and an Invisibility Cloak from an anonymous sender. The note with the cloak says that it belonged to Harry's father, and advises him to "use it well."

The Christmas feast is very merry, including various magical accessories and truly amazing amounts of delicious food. Following dinner, Harry remembers the Invisibility Cloak, and decides to explore the library's Restricted section, hoping to find Flamel's name. The first book he selects, however, screams when opened, causing Harry to break his lamp, and alerting Filch. On the run from Filch, he enters a room containing a mirror. His reflection shows him amidst a crowd of people. On closer inspection, this crowd is revealed to be his parents and relations – not the Dursleys, but his parents and apparently his other magical relatives.

Excited, Harry later fetches Ron to show him the mirror, so Ron can see Harry's parents. Instead, Ron sees only himself wearing a Head Boy's badge, and holding the Quidditch Cup. Mrs. Norris apparently can sense them under the Cloak, which keeps Ron away, but over the next few days Harry keeps returning to the mirror until he is surprised by Professor Dumbledore. Dumbledore identifies the mirror as the Mirror of Erised, and explains that it shows "only the deepest desire of our hearts". When asked what he sees when he looks into the mirror, Dumbledore replies that he sees himself holding a pair of socks, which Harry suspects is untrue. Dumbledore tells Harry that he is going to hide the mirror, and asks that he not seek it out again.
Family has recently become important to Harry: being raised by the Dursleys, who barely mask their contempt for him, Harry barely understands how loving families interact. Recently, though, exposure to Ron and the Weasley family has shown Harry how these relationships work, and what it is like to have people who care about him. He is touched when Mrs. Weasley, knowing he would receive few, if any, gifts, sends him Christmas presents.

Harry again feels justified to ignore the rules, sneaking into the library's restricted section under his Invisibility Cloak to search for information about Nicolas Flamel. Finding none and interrupted by Filch, he is inadvertently detoured into a room containing a magical mirror. Rather than uncovering information about Flamel, Harry has instead discovered much about himself. He is amazed and puzzled by the images reflected in the Mirror of Erised, seeing for the first time what his parents and other relatives were like in life. Having lost James and Lily when he was still an infant, he has no recollections about them.Already having the family that Harry lacks, Ron's desires are obviously quite different. Feeling unremarkable and always overshadowed by his talented older brothers, when Ron peers into the Mirror, he sees only himself, as Quidditch captain and Head Boy, standing completely on his own accomplishments. Unlike Harry, however, he does not feel compelled to continually return and stare at the Mirror's reflection, partially fearing being caught, but also resigned to knowing what it is he wants, but believing he can never attain it.

Harry and Dumbledore's relationship is also established here, and until now there has been little significant interaction between them since Dumbledore left baby Harry on the Dursleys' door step ten years earlier. Not only has Dumbledore remained distant in the story, but he has been portrayed as being rather enigmatic and eccentric. Harry even considered that he might be a touch mad. Dumbledore is truly an enigma, and even by Wizard standards, he seems odd. It is doubtful that he has ever had much direct interaction with students, being a lofty and somewhat aloof authoritarian figure, and it has been unclear just what his role will be in the book. He is, however, a kind, gentle, and humorous man, and rather than reprimand Harry, Dumbledore steps beyond his Headmaster role to gently guide the young boy with helpful, almost fatherly, advice, understanding that Harry's needs are unique among the students. Their relationship will likely continue to grow beyond student and teacher from here on.

Of Note: The mirror's entire inscription reads, "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi". When those words are read backwards, the inscription is: "I show not your face but your heart's desire". We can safely expect that the Mirror of Erised will play a role elsewhere in the book, though exactly what that role will be, and how the Mirror's peculiar function will be important, it is too early to tell.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Quidditch

Quidditch

Quidditch season starts in November, and Harry is lucky to have Hermione as his friend—the extra practices are cutting into his homework time, and only Hermione's help gets him through it. Also, she has become a bit more relaxed about rules, so when she, Harry, and Ron are out in the courtyard one day, she bends the rules to create a small wizard fire to keep them warm. Professor Snape, seeing them there, confiscates the book Harry was reading, Quidditch Through the Ages, on a flimsy pretext that library books cannot be taken outside.

That evening, Harry decides to ask Snape to return the book. Hoping to catch him with other teachers so as to defuse his anger, he peers inside the staff room. There he sees Snape with a bad leg wound, being tended by Filch, and talking about something with three heads that apparently injured him. Snape notices Harry and, enraged, orders him out. Harry, Ron, and Hermione jointly concur that his injury was caused by the three-headed dog in the forbidden third-floor corridor, but only Hermione doubts that Snape would attempt to steal anything. Both Harry and Ron are convinced he would.

The following morning is Harry's first Quidditch match, which is against Slytherin. The match proceeds well, until Harry's broom starts acting strangely, apparently trying to buck him off. Hermione notices that Professor Snape is staring fixedly at Harry and muttering, and concludes he is jinxing it. To stop it, she runs across the stands, knocking Professor Quirrell over in the process, and sets Snape's robes on fire, thus breaking his concentration. Slytherin scores five times while everyone is distracted by Harry and his cursed broom. Regaining control, Harry dives for the pitch, in the process running into and nearly swallowing the Snitch, winning the match.

After the match, Harry, Ron, and Hermione discuss recent events with Hagrid in his hut. Hagrid voices disbelief that Snape would jinx Harry's broom. Harry mentions that Snape had apparently run afoul of the three-headed dog, which Hagrid accidentally identifies as "Fluffy". Hagrid later mentions that whatever he is guarding, "that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel —", thus accidentally providing another clue to what the object being guarded is.
As with any school, sport plays an integral part in student life. At Hogwarts, that sport is Quidditch, and it serves as both a unifying force and a divisive element. Students are bound by their enthusiasm for the game, but their Houses also compete against one another to win the Quidditch Cup, as well as the House Cup. Though these rivalries are generally amicable, Slytherin and Gryffindor have always been particularly competitive, and occasionally openly antagonistic. Slytherin's Quidditch captain, Marcus Flint, actually uses the incident with Harry's broom as a means to score more points for his team, showing just how devious and exploitative Slytherins truly are. The rivalry between these two Houses is so pronounced that it is likely to be central to the series somehow.

Meanwhile, Hermione's newly-formed friendship with Harry and Ron continues to develop and strengthen, and her intelligence and generosity are already proving useful. Initially it is the small (comparative to what comes later) matter of helping Harry with his homework when he becomes overwhelmed with the extra Quidditch practices, but she moves swiftly and decisively to protect Harry when she sees that his broom has been tampered with during the game, putting his life in danger. Her quick-thinking and fast actions become even more important to the Trio later in the series.

The jinxed broom seen during the game indicates that someone has malicious intentions against Harry, and it certainly seems obvious, at least to Harry and Ron, that this person is Snape. Even Hermione has abandoned her naive view that teachers can do no wrong and agrees that it must be Snape who seeks the Stone. Hagrid adamantly disagrees with the Trio that Snape, or any Hogwarts professor, could be involved in a plot against the school or its students. Hagrid's blind faith in Hogwarts and its teachers is noble, but it is simplistic, and almost child-like, though it should be remembered that Hagrid is privy to school information that we and the Trio are not. We, however, have seen that Snape appears to have a particular interest in the forbidden third-floor corridor, the trap door, and perhaps what lies beneath it.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Hallowe'en

Hallowe'en

The next morning, Harry receives a long, thin package in the morning post. The attached note warns him not to open it at the table, that it is a broom, and is signed "Professor M. McGonagall." Malfoy is already dismayed that Harry and Ron apparently escaped his plan to have them expelled, and so arranges to find out what is in the package. Discovering it is a broomstick, he informs Professor Flitwick, but is further dismayed that not only does the staff know the rule prohibiting first-years to have broomsticks has been breached, but that they have given their approval.

That evening, as directed, Harry heads to the Quidditch pitch to meet Oliver Wood. Oliver explains the game's rules and does some basic practice with Harry. After this, Oliver has the team practicing three evenings a week.

On Hallowe'en, Professor Flitwick decides the class is ready to use the floating spell (Wingardium Leviosa) that they have been learning. Hermione annoys Ron by correcting how he enunciates the incantation; then, challenged to demonstrate by Ron, is the first to successfully levitate her feather. Ron later tells Harry that Hermione is unbearable, which is why she has no friends. Hermione overhears and runs crying into the girls' bathroom.

During the Hallowe'en feast that evening, Professor Quirrell bursts into the Great Hall, hysterically shouting that a Mountain Troll is loose in the dungeons. As students are shepherded back to their common rooms, Harry and Ron remember that Hermione is still in the bathroom, and dart off to warn her about the Troll. On the way, they see Professor Snape apparently heading to the forbidden third floor corridor. In the bathroom, they find the Troll, which attacks Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Frightened, Ron yells out the first spell that comes to his head, Wingardium Leviosa, which causes the Troll's club to float into the air, then crash down on its head, rendering the creature unconscious. Upon the teachers' arrival, Hermione lies to Professor McGonagall to protect Harry and Ron, saying it was her idea to try to defeat the Troll, and that Harry and Ron arrived just in time to save her. Professor McGonagall reprimands Hermione and deducts five points from Gryffindor, but awards Harry and Ron five points apiece for defeating the Troll. From here on, Hermione is Harry's and Ron's friend.
Harry receives great joy from his flying ability. That he has received a world-class racing broom, which we see him put so lightly through its paces, is very heartening for him. Flying and Quidditch are quickly becoming his centering point; he can retreat to the air or the pitch when things become too confusing or stressful to bear.

Hermione's personality begins to change in this chapter, and we see her transforming into a more sympathetic character whereas, previously, she was an annoying, two-dimensional goody-two-shoes grind who seemed on target to become yet another Harry nemesis. Another character could have allowed Harry and Ron to be punished when they were actually trying to help, but Hermione immediately steps in to protect them by assuming the blame, lying to Professor McGonagall. Slowly, she is learning that sometimes rules must be broken in order to make things right; we can see there is hope for her. Harry and Ron are so surprised by Hermione's generous act that they immediately lose their past animosity for her. This is also the first time the three work together and successfully combine their skills, indicating how powerful and vital this friendship will become in the greater story. The "Trio" has been born.
According to JK Rowling: "When we were editing 'Philosopher's Stone' my editor wanted me to cut the scene in which Harry, Ron and Hermione fight the troll. Although I had accepted most of the smaller cuts he wanted me to make I argued hard for this one. Hermione, bless her, is so very annoying in the early part of 'Philosopher's Stone' that I really felt it needed something (literally) huge to bring her together with Harry and Ron."

Harry Potter The Sorcerer's Stone:THE MIDNIGHT DUEL

THE MIDNIGHT DUEL

Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy. Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much. Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan.

Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday -- and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.
Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfay, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.Harry knew, somehow, what to do. He leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfay like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping.
Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down -- next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball -- wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching -- he stretched out his hand -- a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "-- how dare you -- might have broken your neck --" "It wasn't his fault, Professor --" "Be quiet, Miss Patil "But Malfoy --" "That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now." Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. He was going to be expelled, he just knew it. He wanted to say something to defend himself, but there seemed to be something wrong with his voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at him; he had to jog to keep up. Now he'd done it. He hadn't even lasted two weeks. He'd be packing his bags in ten minutes. What would the Dursleys say when he turned up on the doorstep.

Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to him. She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking him to Dumbledore. He thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps he could be Hagrid's assistant. His stomach twisted as he imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming wizards, while he stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag.

Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.They weren't in a room, as he had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.

They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads.

Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.

It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Harry knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant.

Harry groped for the doorknob -- between Filch and death, he'd take Filch.
They fell backward -- Harry slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared -- all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.

But Hermione had given Harry something else to think about as he climbed back into bed. The dog was guarding something.... What had Hagrid said.

Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide -- except perhaps Hogwarts.

It looked as though Harry had found out where the grubby littie package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.

Harry Potter The Sorcerer's Stone: THE POTIONS MASTER

THE POTIONS MASTER

Harry wished they wouldn't, because he was trying to concentrate on finding his way to classes.

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Harry was sure the coats of armor could walk.

The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!" Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Harry and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning. Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.
Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-colored creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasley twins) and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick.

And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.

They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for.
Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls. This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate. Harry tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl: Dear Harry, I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three.

I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.

Hagrid Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled Yes, please, see you later on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again.

It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far.

At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first Potions lesson, he knew he'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry -- he hated him.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.Harry and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Fitch "that old git." "An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere. Can't get rid of her -- Fitch puts her up to it." Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown.

Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.As Harry and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Harry thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Had Hagrid collected that package just in time. Where was it now. And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry.

Harry Potter The Sorcerer's Stone: THE SORTING HAT

THE SORTING HAT

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here -- but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting.

These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.

Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with tProfessor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.A horrible thought struck Harry, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if he wasn't chosen at all. What if he just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off his head and said there had obviously been a mistake and he'd better get back on the train.

When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag." Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up. Harry grinned back. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Harry recognized him at once from the card he'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Harry spotted Professor Quirtell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.

And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table.When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding -- " As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.
Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.
Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny. Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; he tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully -- and there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it -then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold -- there was a burst of green light and Harry woke, sweating and shaking.

He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke next day, he didn't remember the dream at all.he teachers behind them.

Harry Potter The Sorcerer's Stone: THE JOURNEY FROM PLATFORM NINE AND THREE-QUARTERS.

THE JOURNEY FROM PLATFORM NINE AND THREE-QUARTERS

Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything, or shout at him -- in fact, they didn't speak to him at all.

Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.
Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in A History of Magic. His school books were very interesting. He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.On the last day of August he thought he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, so he went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.
He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble -- leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run -- the barrier was coming nearer and nearer -- he wouldn't be able to stop -- the cart was out of control -- he was a foot away -- he closed his eyes ready for the crash -- It didn't come... he kept on running... he opened his eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven O'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it, He had done it.

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats.
Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.
Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears." Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.

He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry -- but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.

Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.
Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.
Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle - Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbets finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry." Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

Harry Potter The Sorcerer's Stone: DIAGON ALLEY

DIAGON ALLEY

Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.
And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door, Harry thought, his heart sinking. But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a gooddream.Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him. He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.Harry had never been to London before. Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow.Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Harry had to do was keep close behind him. They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them. Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks. Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up. If Harry hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humor, he might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help trusting him.They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was - "Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry.

He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them: Enter, stranger, but take heed Of what awaits the sin of greed, For those who take, but do not earn, Must pay most dearly in their turn.They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.

Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.
Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least -- but at first he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money. He didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in his whole life -- more money than even Dudley had ever had.The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life -- and yet -- he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words.

Harry Potter The Sorcerer's Stone: THE KEEPER OF THE KEYS

THE KEEPER OF THE KEYS

There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands -- now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.

The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea. Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burntsausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley." The giant chuckled darkly.His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled--" "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL To TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.

But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER," he thundered, "- INSULT- ALBUS- DUMBLEDORE- IN- FRONT- OF- ME!" He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley -- there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.

Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.

Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.

Harry Potter The Sorcerer's Stone: THE LETTERS FROM NO ONE

THE LETTERS FROM NO ONE

The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.

Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader. The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry Hunting.
That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters. They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.

As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins, he looked so handsome and grown-up. Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.

There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.
Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere,on the table.
Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would. He had no friends, no other relatives -- he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake: Mr. H. Potter The Cupboard under the Stairs 4 Privet Drive Little Whinging Surrey The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.
From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, I don't want him in there... I need that room... make him get out...." Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.

Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smelting stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his room back.
Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag.

They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while. "Shake'em off... shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this.

They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.

Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering....

They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table.
He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail. Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all.

As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the secondroom and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.

Harry Potter The Sorcerer's Stone:THE VANISHING GLASS

THE VANISHING GLASS

Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed.

Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets -- but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother.

The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.

Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.
When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise -- unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry, but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.


About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way -- all over the place.

Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel -- Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.
heared it off He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.

Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls) -- The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.

On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trash cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid- jump.

Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.
The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry." Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go -- cupboard -- stay -- no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.

Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.
At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.

Harry Potter The Sorcerer's Stone: THE BOY WHO LIVED

THE BOY WHO LIVED.

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.

Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors. The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.

The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. Mrs.

Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.

When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.

None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.

It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar -- a cat reading a map. For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen -- then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of. It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive -- no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs. Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.
Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swoop ing past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open- mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery.
Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.

A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.

Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots.

His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.

Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known." He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again -- the next lamp flickered into darkness.

If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.

"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle." "Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sit," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir." "No problems, were there." "No, sir -- house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol." Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.